Chicago Native Has Questions for His Mayor

Last Sunday a man who was born and raised in Chicago asked a few questions for Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel on a Chicago blog.

Recent comments by those who administer our city seem to assume that the city government can decide for everyone what are the "values" that must be held by citizens of Chicago. I was born and raised here, and my understanding of being a Chicagoan never included submitting my value system to the government for approval. Must those whose personal values do not conform to those of the government of the day move from the city? Is the City Council going to set up a "Council Committee on Un-Chicagoan Activities" and call those of us who are suspect to appear before it? I would have argued a few days ago that I believe such a move is, if I can borrow a phrase, "un-Chicagoan."

The value in question is espousal of "gender-free marriage." Approval of state-sponsored homosexual unions has very quickly become a litmus test for bigotry; and espousing the understanding of marriage that has prevailed among all peoples throughout human history is now, supposedly, outside the American consensus. Are Americans so exceptional that we are free to define "marriage" (or other institutions we did not invent) at will? What are we re-defining?

I particularly like His Eminence's question whether committees on Un-Chicagoan activities may be in the future. Cardinal George is by nature a conciliatory type, sometimes too conciliatory for my tastes. For him to mock the civil authorities in this matter is a measure of just how disgusted he must be with our current crop of politicians.

ht: Ed Morrissey at Hot Air

Last Sunday a man who was born and raised in Chicago asked a few questions for Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel on a Chicago blog.

Recent comments by those who administer our city seem to assume that the city government can decide for everyone what are the "values" that must be held by citizens of Chicago. I was born and raised here, and my understanding of being a Chicagoan never included submitting my value system to the government for approval. Must those whose personal values do not conform to those of the government of the day move from the city? Is the City Council going to set up a "Council Committee on Un-Chicagoan Activities" and call those of us who are suspect to appear before it? I would have argued a few days ago that I believe such a move is, if I can borrow a phrase, "un-Chicagoan."

The value in question is espousal of "gender-free marriage." Approval of state-sponsored homosexual unions has very quickly become a litmus test for bigotry; and espousing the understanding of marriage that has prevailed among all peoples throughout human history is now, supposedly, outside the American consensus. Are Americans so exceptional that we are free to define "marriage" (or other institutions we did not invent) at will? What are we re-defining?

I particularly like His Eminence's question whether committees on Un-Chicagoan activities may be in the future. Cardinal George is by nature a conciliatory type, sometimes too conciliatory for my tastes. For him to mock the civil authorities in this matter is a measure of just how disgusted he must be with our current crop of politicians.